Inamorato by THUS LOVE

Bound by circumstance, identity, and creative spirit, three trans multi-instrumentalists founded THUS LOVE in 2018 in Brattleboro, Vermont. But the shared experience of Echo Mars (she/her), Lu Racine (he/they), and Nathaniel van Osdol (they/them) runs much deeper, tracing its roots to poor, rural towns where it was difficult to find communities to call their own. That feeling of loss and solitary longing has also, paradoxically, cemented their powerfully close connection in THUS LOVE. The band lived together in a one-bedroom apartment above downtown Brattleboro during the entire recording process of their debut album (release date TBD), with Mars cordoning off a room to build a studio from scratch.

Musically, THUS LOVE combines their love of post-punk with a loose, eclectic experimental streak that owes as much to van Osdol’s jazz collection as it does to Mars's classical training as a cellist. The band is unafraid to tackle weighty themes with startling intimacy and vulnerability—and with a goal of amplifying the voices of those who continue to struggle. Says Mars: “What I hope we’re able to accomplish with THUS LOVE is to redirect opportunities to those who haven’t had them and to create communities in the kinds of places where we grew up. We want them to know they’re not alone.”